Plate-printing device



Oct. 17, 1939. A. G. WAHL PLATE-PRINTING DEVICE www SQ 5 V 202 ...A T, www w V um Vf/ M J S w wv.. M, www w .WU GDH I iff-X Patented oct. 17, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT oI-FICE Claims- My invention relates generally to printing or stamping devices and, more particularly to; a device adapted to be used by sales people in retail establishments for printing the names, addresses, and other identifyingindicia upon sales slips and the like that are issued by the sales people to the customers at the time a sale of goods is made and which procedure in'addition to identifying the customer as a person entitled to credit and having a charge account at the establishment using printingr` devices, is effective in materially reducing the time ordinarily required in completing a sales transaction between sales people and persons entitled to credit and who are furnished with metal plates embossed with their names and other identifying indicia.

The principal objects of my invention are, to generally improve upon and simplify the construction of the existing forms of plate printing or stamping devices, to provide a device that does not require the use of an inked ribbon for producing the impression upon the sales slip or the like and further, to provide a printing device of the character referred to that is compact, strong, and durable in construction and which may be conveniently manipulated to effect the printing operations on the sales slips that are generally assembled in book form or carried between folding covers.

A further object of my invention is, to provide afprinting device wherein the embossed metal plates that carry the customers names and other identifying indicia are detachably positioned on a solid base and the device including a manually operable frame mounted for swinging movement above the embossed plate and said frame carrying at its lower end a roller of compressible material which, as the frame swings backward and forward, rolls across the embossed plate so as to effect the printing of the inserted sales slip.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, my invention consists in certain novel features of construction and arrangement of parts that will be hereinafter more fully described and claimed and illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which: v

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a plate .printing device constructed in accordance with my invention.

Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. l. Fig. 3 is a crosssection taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2. i Fig. 4 is a horizontal section taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2.

(Cl. b-269) Fig. 5 is a horizontal section taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 3. I

Fig. 6 is a plan view of one of the embossed plates used in the plate 4'printing device.

Fig. '7 is a longitudinal section taken on the 5 line I-'I of Fig. 6.

Fig. 8 is a longitudinal section through the center of a modified form of the impression roller. f

Referring by numerals to the accompanying l0 drawing which illustrates a preferred embodiment of my invention, I0 designates a baseplate preferably formed of metal and which may be of any desired size and shape and secured on top of said base plate is a secondary'base II, pref- 15 erably rectangular in form and somewhat smaller in dimensions than the main body plate I0. Connected by a hinge I2 to the upper rear edge of base II is the rear edge of a horizontally disposed rectangular frame I9, preferably formed of metal, and which includes side rails I4 that are substantially L-shape in cross section so as to provide inwardly presented anges I5. Formed integral with or xed to the corners of the frame I3 are the lower' ends of the vertical legs of in- 25 verted U-shaped frames I6 andapplied to said frames and enclosing the same and also enclosing the frame I3 is a housing I1, preferably constructed from thin sheet material.

For the reception of the identifying embossed plates, the' central portion of the upper face of base II is provided with a shallow recess I8, preferably rectangular in form and the marginal portions of this recess on all four sides are increased slightly in depth to form a continuous groove or channel I9. At the front end of recess I8, a depression 20 is extended forwardly a short distance in order to provide a pocket that receives the end of the finger that is utilized in tilting the embossed name plate when the same 40 is removed from the base. l

The name plates 2| as illustrated in Figs. 6 and 7 are preferably formed of sheet metal with their marginal edges bent downwardly and inwardly to form beads 22 which, when the plates 45 are positioned in the recess I8, occupy the marginal groove or channel I8. Each -plate is embossed with upwardly projecting characters that form the name, address, and other identifying indicia for the customer to whom the plate is issued, such characters being in reversed arrangement after the manner of the characters on conventional printing type, so that when the printing of a sales slip is effected the characters appear in proper and readable arrangement thereupon. If desired, a slip oi' heavy paper or card such as 23 may be applied to the under side of the printing plate and retained in position thereon by the inwardly turned flanges that form the beads 22 as illustrated in Fig. "I and this slip or card may bear the written signature and other identifying data of the person to whom the plate is issued.

Seated in the upper portions of the frames I8 directly above the center of the recess I8 are `the ends of a transversely disposed rod 24 and mounted for swinging and sliding movement thereupon is a plate-like frame 25.

The upper portion oi this frame is provided with slots 28 for the accommodation of rod 24 and thus the plate is permitted to move lengthwise during its backward swinging movement upon said rod.

'Ihe lower portion of the swinging frame 25 is notched as designated by 21 for the accommodation of an impression roller 28, which latter is formed of compressible material, preferably rubber or composition having rubber as one of its ingredients and said impression roller is carried on a transversely disposed shaft 23, the ends of which bear directly upon the upper surfaces; of the flanges I5 of the side rails I4.

Projecting from the ends of the shaft 29 :are trunnions 30 that are journaled in the lower end of the swinging frame 25 to the sides of the notch 21 therein. The front side of swinging frame 25 above the notch 21 is recessed for the -accommodation of expansive coil springs 3l, the lower portions of which are disposed about pins 32 that project upwardly from that portion of the frame immediately below the recess and immediately above the notch 21 and the upper ends of said springs bear against the ends of a plate 33 that is mounted for rocking movement on the central portion of rod 24.

These springs 3| yieldingly resist the upward movement of the swinging frame as the lower end thereof and the roller carried thereby moves lengthwise of the printing plate positioned in recess I8 on base II.

4Secured to the lower portion of the swinging frame 25 adjacent the lower ends of the springs 3I are the ends of retractile springs 34, the opposite ends of which are secured to the upper portion of the adjacent end rail of frame I3. Thus said springs 34 normally maintain the frame 25 at the forward end of its travel as illustrated by solid lines in Flg. 2 and said springs yieldingly resist the rearward swinging movement of said frame.

Mounted for swinging movement on a transversely disposed rod' 35, the ends of which are otally connecting the end of this arm of the lever with the intermediate portion of swinging frame 25 is a link 39.

In the use of my improved plate printing device, the sales person after receiving the embossed name plate from the customer and making out the sales slip covering the transaction, raises the hinged upper portion of the device by swinging same upwardly and rearwardly on the hinge I2 and then inserts the name plate in the recess I8. A piece of carbon paper is now laid over the name plate with the carbon surface uppermost and the sales slip is now positioned over the carbon paper. The upper hinged portion of the device is now moved downward until it rests on base 28 and the handle. is now forced downward with pressure. As the hand lever moves on its fulcrum 35, the link 33 swings the frame 25 on its fulcrum (the rod 24) so that the impression roller 28 carried by the lower end of the frame -rides over the sales slip and carbon paper positioned directly over the name plate with the result that the letters on the name plate are through the carbon paper printed on the sales slip.

As frame 25 swings rearwardly in the machine it moves a short distance upward, which movement is permitted by the slots 2,8 through which rod 24 passes, and this rearward swinging move- ,ment of the frame is yieldingly resisted by the retractile springs 34. After the frame has thus been moved to its rearward limit of movement as illustrated by dotted lines in Fig. 2, pressure upon the hand lever is relieved and the power stored inl the springs 34 act to return the frame to its normal position and during this forward swinging movement of the frame, the impression roller 28 passes the second time over the printing. plate and the carbon paper and sales slip positioned thereupon, thus insuring a clear` and defined printing of the embossed letters onto the sales slip.

During the swinging movement of frame 25 and the travel of the roller 28 over the printing plate, said roller is under pressure of the expansive springs 3|.

-' After the printing operation as just described has been effected, the hinged upper portion of the device is swung upwardly and' rearwardly and after the sales slip and carbon paper have 'been removed, the embossed plate is removed from recess I8 and returned t0 the customer.

To facilitate removal of the printing plate from the base, the pressure of the finger upon the end of the plate adjacent the recess 28 will tilt said plate so that it may be readily grasped and withdrawn from recess I8.

In Fig. 8 I have shown a modified formof the impression roller and which modified construction comprises a cylindrical body 40, which may be formed of wood, metal, hard rubber, or composition, and carried on the periphery thereof is a layer 4I of fibrous material, preferably felt. In

with a suitable adhesive; for instance, an elastic paint, and then to blow thereonto felt fibers which adhere to the cylinder and which provide a flexible and to a certain extent elastic surface for the roller.

Obviously, rollers of this construction maybe used in machines other than plate printing machines.

Thus it will be seen that I have provided a plate printing device that is relatively simple in construction, inexpensive of manufacture, and very effective in performing the functions for which it is intended.

It will be understood that minor changes in the size, form and construction of the various parts of my improved plate printing device, may be made andsubstituted for those herein shown and described, without departing from the spirit of .applying the felt, I prefer to coat the periphery K my invention, the scope of which is set forth in the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

l. In a plate printing device, a base adapted to support a printing plate, a frame hinged to said base, a second frame mounted for swinging and sliding movement within said ilrst mentioned frame, a substantially bell crank shaped handle fulcrumed in the upper portion of said hinged frame in front of said second mentioned frame, the short arm o1 which bell crank handle extends downwardly from its fulcrum point, a link connecting the short arm of said bell crank handle with the intermediate portion of said swinging and sliding frame and a roller journalled for rotation in fixed bearings on the lower portion of said swinging and sliding frame for engaging the face of the printing plate positioned upon said base.

2. A plate printing device as set forth in claim 1, with means associated with said swinging and sliding frame for yieldingly resisting its sliding movement in one direction and for causing the roller to engage the printing plate with yielding pressure.

3. A plate printing device as set forth in claim l, with means for yieldingly resisting the sliding movement of the sliding and swinging frame in one direction and for applying yielding pressure to said roller and separate means for yieldingly resisting the swinging movement of said swinging and sliding frame in one direction.

4. In a plate printing device, a base provided in its upper portion with a recess for the reception of an embossed printing plate, a frame hinged to said base, a second one piece frame arranged within said rst mentioned frame, a pivotal and sliding connection between the upper portion of the second mentioned frame and the upper portion of the hinged frame, an impression roller journaled in the lower portion of said second mentioned frame and adapted to pass over the printing plate supported on the base, means arranged between the two frames for yieldingly resisting the upward sliding movement of the second mentioned frame, a substantially bell crank shaped handle pivotally mounted in the upper portion of said hinged frame, that portion of the handle within the frame extending downwardly from the pivot point of said handle and a link pivotally connecting the end of the downwardly extending portion of the handle to the intermediate portion of said second mentioned frame.

5. A plate printing device as set forth in claim 4 and with means connecting the front portion of the hinged frame with the lower portion of the swinging frame for yieldingly resisting rearward movement of said swinging frame.

. ALBERT G. WAHL. 

